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Sun City, Menifee, California
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== History == Sun City began in what is known as the Perris Valley, so known since 1885, when the community of Perris was established along the newly built Southern California Railroad certified to connect the cities of Barstow and San Diego. Until 1957, there was little change in this sparsely populated rural grassland valley. In 1957, Richard Rand, a land developer who hoped to promote a planned community called Ransdale, purchased the Newport Ranch. A small motel and office were as far as his plans progressed. In 1959, Del Webb arrived. The concept of an active retirement community was relatively new and Webb was in the process of developing the [[Sun City, Arizona|Sun City]] community in Arizona, which was experiencing success greater than expected. He started looking for reasonably priced land in Southern California to develop another Sun City where the sun shined 200+ days, preferably equidistant to San Diego and Los Angeles. Webb started buying large parcels from Rand and other farmers in Menifee Valley. He ended up buying 14,000 acres from Scott Road north to Ethanac Road for $500 to $900 an acre. ===Timeline=== * 1961: Grading began in December for Sun City with a projected opening date of June 1962.<ref>{{Cite book |last=The Archives Committee, Sun City Civic Association |title=Sun City California, The First 30 Years - June 1962 - June 1992 |date=1992 |publisher=The Archives Committee, Sun City Civic Association |year=1992 |location=Sun City, California |publication-date=1992}}</ref> * 1962: The Kings Inn motel and restaurant was constructed on the corner of Bradley Road and Cherry Hills Boulevard. When the June opening arrived, the Civic Center was in place, along with model homes and the golf course seeded and soon to be playable. There were 100,000 visitors and 272 homes were sold in three days south of The Kings Inn. The shopping center across the street from the Kings Inn opened shortly afterwards in July 1962. The new shopping center near U.S. Highway 395 had a Mayfair Market and Sprouse-Reitz. The first church, United Church Sun City, opens in the brand new Webb Hall of Sun City Civic Association at 26850 Sun City Boulevard. The Greek outdoor theatre is also built. * 1963: The town's first gas station, a Union 76, also opens in the shopping center at the northwest corner of Bradley Road and Cherry Hills Boulevard. Decades later, this Union 76 would be abandoned and replaced by the new Sun City Library in 2008. The Kings Inn expands with the addition of 56 rooms. The Cherry Hills Golf Course opens. * 1964: 3,500 people were living in Sun City. Security First National Bank is built in the shopping center parking plaza at Bradley near Cherry Hills Blvd. It would be torn down 2008 and replaced by a newer Sun City Library. Expansion of the shopping center begins with construction of a western wing. The town's second gas station, Texaco, is built at 28200 Bradley Road, and is currently Bradley Auto Service. * 1965: Bank of America opens at 26800 Cherry Hills Boulevard. The new west wing addition to the shopping center is officially completed. Provident Federal Savings Bank opens in this wing. McCall Boulevard is developed and built from Sun City Blvd on west side of developing Sun City to the east side of U.S. Highway 395. United Church Sun City builds a church at 26701 McCall Boulevard. * 1966: McCall Boulevard is extended east to Menifee Road. Two new gas stations are built: Shell at 26730 McCall and Standard at 26980 McCall. The sole Catholic church, St. Vincent Ferrer, opens at 27931 Murrieta Road. * 1967: U.S. Highway 395 is upgraded as a freeway south from Ethanac Road to just south of the McCall Boulevard exit, replacing Antelope Road as Highway 395. Bradley Road is also extended throughout the year to flank the east side of the shopping plaza, skirted by the newly completed US Hwy 395, and ending at Rouse Road. The Standard Gas Station opens at 26980 McCall Blvd and remains a Standard, later Chevron for over 50 years to the present day. Sun City Shell Gas opens at 26730 McCall Blvd. It is a Union 76 today. The current Sun City Gardens Retirement Community is built on the south side of town at 28500 Bradley Rd. A brick medical building opens nearby at 28401 Bradley Rd. The first mobile home park on the east side of the freeway begins construction and will become Bel Air Mobile Estates. * 1968: The current Sun City Post Office is built at 26822 Cherry Hills Blvd. A 7-Eleven opens at 27188 Sun City Blvd (currently a dental office.) An Arco Gas Station opens at NW Corner of 26670 McCall & Sun City Blvd. Another gas station opens on east side of US Highway 395 at 27181 McCall Blvd. It is now a Gulf fuel station. * 1969: The entire Sun City Civic Association, including the swimming pool, Greek theatre, and other amenities, is completed. * 1970: Population is now 5,519. * 1971: The first homes in Sun City on the east side of U.S. Highway 395 are built on Encanto Drive. * 1974: Del Webb dies. * 1975: A second golf course under the Del Webb Corp, the North Golf Course, opens at 26660 McCall Blvd. The Bel Air Strip Plaza is built along the frontage road (Encanto Drive) alongside the freeway. * 1976: United California Bank opens at 27385 Sun City Blvd (where the current Wells Fargo is today). * 1980: Population is now 8,460. The Kings Inn motel and restaurant closes. * 1982: The former Kings Inn motel buildings are moved to a new location on Encanto Drive. The former restaurant remains. * 1988: The former Kings Inn restaurant buildings and remaining structures are demolished. * 1990: Population is 14,390 * 1994: The expanding Sun City Library takes over the former Security Pacific Bank at 26982 Cherry Hills Blvd
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